Local News

Danforth apartment fire, no injury

An apartment complex fire Saturday afternoon in Danforth affected two families. Fire Chief Jason Brown reported no injury. The cause is under investigation by the State Fire Marshall's Office. Damage estimates were unavailable.

Ashkum and Gilman fire and Riverside EMS provided mutual aid. Danforth firemen answered the call to 204 W. 5th Street around 2 pm. Brown said the fire started in the attic of the three-apartment complex.

One family of five lost everything. They're in need of housing and furniture. The Red Cross is providing temporary sheltering. Chief Brown reported a second apartment sustained minimal smoke damage; the third unit was vacant.

Cool temps may bring record harvest

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DES MOINES, Iowa — A mild summer across much of the nation's heartland has provided optimum growing conditions for the nation's corn and soybean crops. Pair that with high-yield seeds and other new farming technologies, and the U.S. is looking at busting records come harvest time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture already has predicted a record soybean crop of 3.8 billion bushels. And the corn crop, it said in July, would be large but not bigger than last year's record of 13.9 billion bushels. However, many market analysts and some farmers expect the USDA to revise expectations upward in a report based on field surveys that's due out Tuesday.

Disease-carrying mosquitoes spotted in area counties

CHAMPAIGN — Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can carry the chikungunya virus, are turning up in Champaign County for a fourth summer in a row and have also been found in Vermilion County, public health officials said.These mosquitoes that bite mostly during the daytime haven't spread the disease in Illinois so far, officials said.

But the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has taken steps to warn travelers going to and ar¬¬riving from more heavily infected areas of the world about the risks and to prepare for potential chikungunya cases in the area.

That includes posting warning signs at Willard Airport and alerting local medical providers about chikungunya symptoms, which most commonly in¬¬clude fever and joint pain.

The Vermilion County Health Department has also found Asian tiger mosquitoes this summer but doesn't keep track of their numbers, according to Environmental Health Director Doug Toole.The Asian tiger mosquito count may be down in the area this summer because it breeds much like Culex mosquitoes do, Blackford said. Culex mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus, like hot, dry weather and tend to breed in sources of standing water. {info sumbitted}

Vermilion County traffic fatality

The Danville Police Department and the Vermilion County Coroner's Office are investigating the cause of a fatal crash early this (Friday) morning. 46 year old David D. Rudolph, of Newport, IN was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:18 am by the Vermilion County Coroner's Office.

Mr. Rudolph was northbound on Lynch road when, for unknown reasons, his truck went off the roadway and overturned. He was thrown from the vehicle. An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday morning. This incident still remains an ongoing investigation.

Manteno sex abuse case brings 5+ years prison term

An aggravated sexual abuse charge has landed a 22-year-old Bradley man in prison for more than five-years. Eric Wheeler pleaded guilty to punching and groping a woman he followed home.

The Daily-Journal reports Eric Wheeler received nearly the maximum penalty for the attack that left his victim needing surgery.

Circuit Court Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott said it was a vicious crime and she never considered any kind of supervised release. Wheeler faced between three and seven years for the aggravated sexual abuse charge.

The Journal reported, Elliott also noted that Wheeler admitted to a court-appointed psychologist that he intended to rape the woman but her screaming deterred him. The judge said the attack was "well-planned."

Wheeler also is facing charges for allegedly groping at least six women in Tennessee.